CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN.
For a few moments Kate Wilton was passive in Garstang's arms. Thesuddenness of the act--the surprise, stunned her, and his words seemedso impossible that she could not believe her hearing. Then horror andrevulsion came; she knew it was the truth, and like a flash it dawnedupon her that all that had gone before, the chivalrous behaviour, thebenevolence and paternal tenderness, were the clever acting of anunscrupulous man--the outcome of plans and schemes, and for what? Toobtain possession of the great fortune by which she felt more than everthat she was cursed.
With a faint cry of horror she thrust him back with both hands upon hisbreast, and struggled wildly to escape from his embrace.
But the effort was vain; he clasped her tightly once again, in spite ofher efforts, and covered her face, her neck, her hair, with his kisses.
"Silly, timid little bird!" he whispered, as he held her there,horrified and panting; "what ails you? The first kisses, of course.There, don't be so foolish, my darling child; they are the kisses of himwho loves you, and who is going to make you his wife. Come, have I notbeen tender and patient, and all that you could wish, and is not this aneasy solution of the difficulties by which you are surrounded?"
"Mr Garstang, loose me, I insist!" she cried. "How dare you treat meso!"
"I have told you, my beautiful darling. Come, come, be sensible; surelythe love of one who has worshipped you from the first time he met you isnot a thing to horrify you. Am I so old and repulsive, that you shouldgo on like this? Only a few hours ago you were pressing my hands,holding your face to mine for my kisses; while now that I declare myselfyou begin struggling like a newly-captured bird. Why, Kate, my darling,I am talking to you like a poetic lover in a sentimental play. Really,dry lawyer as I am, I did not know that I could rise to such a flow ofeloquence. Yes, pet, and you are acting too. There, that is enough forappearances, and there is no one to see, so let's behave like twosensible matter-of-fact people. Come and sit down here."
"I wish to go--at once," she cried, striving hard to be firm, feeling asshe did that everything, in her hopeless state, depended upon herself.
"We'll talk about that quietly, when you have seated yourself. No--youwill not?" he cried playfully. "Then you force me to show you that youmust," and raising her in his arms, he bore her quickly to the couch,and sat beside her, pinioning her firmly in his grasp.
"There," he said, "man is the stronger in muscles, and woman must obey;but woman is stronger in the silken bonds with which she can hold man,and then he obeys."
She sat there panting heavily, ceasing her struggles, as she tried tothink out her course of action, for she shrank from shrieking aloud forhelp, and exposing her position to the two women in the house.
"That's better," he said; "now you are behaving sensibly. Don't pretendto be afraid of me. Now listen--There, sit still; you cannot get away.If you cry out not a sound could reach the servants, for I have sentthem to bed; and if a dozen men stood here and shouted together theirvoices could not be heard through curtains, shutters, and doublewindows. There, I am not telling you this to frighten you, only to showyou your position."
She turned and gazed at him wildly, and then dragged her eyes away indespair as he said, caressingly.
"How beautiful you are, Kate! That warm colour makes you moreattractive than ever, and tells me that all this is but a timid girl'snatural holding back from the embraces of the man whom she has enslaved.There is no ghastly pallor, your lips are not white, and you do notturn faint, but are strong and brave in your resistance; so now let'stalk sense, little wifie. You fancy I have been drinking; well, I havehad a glass or two more than usual, but I am not as you think, only calmand quiet and ready to talk to you about what you wished."
"Another time--to-morrow. Mr Garstang, I beg of you; pray let me go tomy own room now."
"To try the front door on the way, and seek to do some foolish thing?There, you see I can read your thoughts, my darling. So far from havingexceeded, I am too sensible for mat; but you could not get out of thehouse, for the door is locked, and I have the key here. There; tobegin; you would like to leave here to-night?"
"Yes, yes, Mr Garstang; pray let me go."
"Where? You would wander about the streets, a prey to the first ruffianwho meets you. To appeal to the police, who would not believe yourstory; and even if they did, where would you go? To-morrow back toNorthwood, to be robbed of your fortune; to go straight to that noblecousin's arms. No, no, that would not do, dear. Now, let's look theposition in the face. I am double your age, my child. Well, granted;but surely I am not such a repellent monster that you need look at melike that I love you, my pretty one, and I am going to marry you atonce. As my wife, you will be free from all persecution by your uncle.He will try to make difficulties, and refuse to sign papers, and doplenty of absurd things; but I have him completely under my thumb, andonce you are my wife I can force him to give up all control of you andyours."
"To-morrow--to-morrow," she said, pleadingly, as she felt how hopelessit was to struggle. "I am sick and faint, Mr Garstang; pray, pray letme go to my room now."
"Not yet," he said playfully, and without relaxing his grasp; "there isa deal more to say. You have to make me plenty of promises, that youwill act sensibly; and I want these promises, not from fear, but becauseyou love me, dear. Silent? Well, I must tell you a little more. Imade up my mind to this, my child, when I came to you that night. `I'llmarry her,' I said; `it will solve all the difficulties and make her thehappiest life.'"
"No, no, it is impossible, Mr Garstang," she cried. "There, you havesaid enough now. You must--you shall let me go. Is this your conducttowards the helpless girl who trusted you?"
"Yes," he said laughingly, "it is my conduct towards the helpless girlwho trusted me; and it is the right treatment of one who cannot helpherself."
"No," she cried desperately; "and so I trusted to you, believing you tobe worthy of that trust."
"And so I am, dear; more than worthy. Kate, dearest, do you know that Iam going to make you a happy woman, that I give you the devotion of mylife? Every hour shall be spent in devising some new pleasure for you,in making you one of the most envied of your sex. I am older, but whatof that? Perhaps your young fancy has strayed toward some hero whomyour imagination has pictured; but you are not a foolish girl. You haveso much common sense that you must see that your position renders itcompulsory that you should have a protector."
"A protector!" she cried bitterly.
"Yes; I must be plain with you, unless you throw off all this foolishresistance. Come, be sensible. To-morrow, or the next day, we will bemarried, and then we can set the whole world at defiance."
"Mr Garstang, you are mad!" she cried, with such a look of repugnancein her eyes that she stung him into sudden rage.
"Mad for loving you?" he cried.
"For loving me!" she said scornfully. "No, it is the miserable love ofthe wretched fortune. Well, take it; only loose me now; let me go. Youare a lawyer, sir, and I suppose you know what to do. There are pensand paper. Loose me, and go and sit down and write; I promise you Iwill not try to leave the room; lock the door, if you like, till youhave done writing."
"It is already locked," he said mockingly; and he smiled as he saw herturn pale.
"Very well," she said calmly; "then I cannot escape. Go and write, andI will sign it without a murmur. I give everything to you; only let mego. It is impossible that we can ever meet again."
"Indeed!" he said, laughing. "Foolish child, how little you know ofthese things! Suppose I do want your money; do you think that anythingI could write, or you could sign, would give it me without this littlehand? Besides, I don't want it without its mistress--my mistress--thebeautiful little girl who during her stay here has taught me that thereis something worth living for. There, there, we are wasting breath.What is the use of fighting against the inevitable? Love me as yourhusband, Kate. I am the same man whom you loved as your g
uardian.There, I want to be gentle and tender with you. Why don't you give upquietly and say that you will come with me like a sensible little girl,and be my wife?"
"Because I would sooner die," she said, firmly.
"As young ladies say in old-fashioned romances," he cried mockingly."There, you force me to speak very plainly to you. I must; and you arewise enough to see that every word is true. Now listen. You have notmany friends; I may say I, your lover, am the only one; but when youtook that step with me one night, eloping from your bedroom window,placing yourself under my protection, and living here secluded with mein this old house for all these months, what would they say? Littleenough, perhaps nothing; but there is a significant shrug of theshoulders which people give, and which means much, my child, respectinga woman's character. You see now that you must marry me."
"No," she said calmly; "I trusted myself to the guardianship of a manalmost old enough to be my grandfather. He professed to be my father'sfriend, and I fled to him to save myself from insult. Will the worldblame me for that, Mr Garstang?"
"Yes, the world will, and will not believe."
"Then what is the opinion of the world, as you term it, worth? Now,sir, I insist upon your letting me go to my room."
As she spoke, she struggled violently, and throwing herself back overthe head of the couch made a snatch at the bell-pull, with such successthat the smothered tones of a violent peal reached where they were.
Garstang started up angrily, and taking advantage of her momentaryfreedom, Kate sprang to the door and turned the key, but before shecould open it he was at her side.
"You foolish child!" he said, in a low angry voice; "how can you act--"
Half mad with fear, she struck at him, the back of her hand catching himsharply on the lips, and before he could recover from his surprise, shehad passed through the door and fled to her room, where she locked andbolted herself in, and then sank panting and sobbing violently upon herknees beside her bed.
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